Richard III and William Shakespeare's Macbeth, one a historical play and the other a tragedy, respectfully, are two Shakespeare plays that embody several similarities. The most obvious similarities between the two plays are the number of common characteristics between the two main characters the plays are named after, Richard of Gloucester (Richard III) and Macbeth. Both men are soldiers, rise to the throne through a series of murders and are ultimately killed by their archenemy in a battle at the end of the play that returns power to that of a strong, humble and virtuous leader, by opposition to a tyrannical. one (Manning-Smith 1003). Although Shakespeare's suggested view on how kingship should be exercised is not explicitly expressed in Richard III or Macbeth, I will further analyze the aforementioned similarities between the two characters and argue that the qualities of a leader exceptional in the eyes of Shakespeare include: humility, strong and virtuous. Let's first analyze the similarities between the two characters' rise to power. Richard III, the younger brother of the current king, Edward IV, was unhappy with his brother's political power and admired societal recognition. This bitterness is what drives Richard to do whatever is necessary to gain the throne, which later amounts to a series of malicious murders. Richard III is also interesting because he was born with a deformity. As a result, he has always been in his family's shadow and desires power and the limelight. I stop near them—Well, I, in this time of feeble and sibilant peace, have no...... middle of paper ...... such as Shakespeare might consider that he is an exceptional leader. Richard III and Macbeth are comparable in many ways. The plots of both plays, particularly the rise and fall of the two tyrants, as well as the set of characteristics common to both provide us with an excellent opportunity to analyze the lessons Shakespeare envisioned for an exceptional leader. I believe the general lesson to be learned from each piece is that you should not let your ambition control your destiny, and when authority has already been established appropriately, actions aimed at dethroning with malicious intent will result in disastrous consequences . Despite the fact that Shakespeare does not explicitly offer his vision of an exceptional leader in the texts, an analysis comparing the similarities of the two characters offers useful insight to his audience by unveiling his implication on how kingship should be exercised..